Best Pizza

Magpie's

READERS' PICK: People are almost religious about their preference in pizza, and there appear to be more Magpies devotees in Tucson than Catholics and Mormons put together. Magpie's wins every year, and does so by a staggering margin. One taste and you'll understand why.

READERS' POLL RUNNER-UP: Brooklyn Pizza,534 N. Fourth Ave. You don't have to go all the way to the Big Apple to enjoy a true Noo Yawk pie. You only have to hop on down to Tucson's beautiful Fourth Avenue to enjoy a taste of Little Brooklyn. For pizza simpletons, there's the straight-up favorite, cheese pizza, perfect for dining in or for the eater on the go. Or, if you like lots of stuff on your pie, then they've got all the fixins that you could ever ask for. And they offer it with a smile, no less. So if you want a good old-fashioned thin or deep-dish New York pizza, get on down to Brooklyn. And if you're lucky, Tony the owner might even be makin' 'em himself. But don't try to get him out on the basketball court; he's too busy slingin' dough. Plus, the pizza would taste leathery.

OF MYTHIC PROPORTIONS (West Side): Bianchi's,Speedway Boulevard and Silverbell Road. Randy Bianchi and family have been serving up the west side's best pizza for over 20 years, along with a great selection of sandwiches and pastas. A slice of pizza here is a meal; two would overwhelm a Sumo wrestler. Daily luncheon specials are generous enough to require a take-home box. Open seven days a week for lunch and dinner.

OF MYTHIC PROPORTIONS (Central):Rocco's Little Chicago, 2707 E. Broadway Blvd. For those of us who grew up east of the Mississippi, it's sometimes trying to attempt to accommodate our taste for a slice of home here in the valley. Whether you favor deep-dish, thin- or stuffed-crust pizza (two crusts!), look no further than Rocco's to sate your appetite for a fine pie. The thin-crust variety--cut into squares, not slices, of course--is sublime, and the deep-dish is prepared just like they do it in the Windy City, with the sauce on top. Add to that some of the best hot wings in town, a lovely house salad with chopped olives and sun-dried tomatoes (try Lefty's vinaigrette), attentive service and a generally low-maintenance and friendly atmosphere (perfect for families), and you've got a nice little wedge of homey goodness right here in the desert. Plus, the marquee-style sign out front is always entertaining at least, hilarious at best. Recent favorites include "Felonious Punx Rock!" and "Tonight: Metallica."

OF MYTHIC PROPORTIONS (East Side): Costco, 6255 E. Grant Road. Just like everything else at Costco, the slices are huge. Plus it's only $1.99 for a slice of cheese, pepperoni or combo, makes no difference. They keep shoveling them out, hot and fresh, all the live-long day. As an added bonus you get to sit at outdoor tables, inside. Where else do you get to eat next to your shopping cart without being homeless? We recently tried taking a pizza home from the back to bake for ourselves and, except for having to cut it in two to make it fit in the oven, it was a tasty bargain at 8 bucks.